Mrs. Levice’s quiet tone did not betray her vexation. She had feared just such a little disturbance from the Jewish community, but her husband’s views had overruled hers, and she was now bound to uphold his. Nevertheless, she hated anything of the kind.
“I simply said I knew nothing at all about it, except that he was your physician. Even if I had known, I wouldn’t have said more.”
“There is no more to be said. Dr. Kemp and Ruth have become friendly through their mutual interest in several poor patients; and in the course of conversation one morning he heard that Ruth was anxious to see this play, and had no escort. So he asked her, and her father saw no objection to her going. It is a pity she didn’t think to hand round a written explanation to her different Jewish friends in the theatre.”
“There you go, Aunt Esther! Jewish friends! I am sure that no matter how indifferent Uncle is to such things, you must remember that our Jewish girls never go alone to the theatre with any one outside of the family, and certainly not with a Christian.”
“What has that to do with it, so long as he is a gentleman?”
“Nothing. Only I didn’t think you cared to have Ruth’s name coupled with one.”
“No, nor with any one. But as I cannot control people’s tongues--”
“Then I would not give them cause for wagging. Aunt Esther, is there anything between Ruth and Dr. Kemp?”
“Jennie, you surprise and anger me. Do you know what you insinuate?”
“I can’t help it. Either you are crazy, or ignorant of what is going on, and I consider it my duty to enlighten you,”--a gossip’s duties are all away from home,--“unless, of course, you prefer to remain in blissful or wilful ignorance.”
“Of course I knew you must have sanctioned her going last night, though, I must confess, I still think you did very wrongly; but do you know where she went this morning?”
Mrs. Levice was put out. She was enough of a Jewess to realize that if you dislike Jewish comment, you must never step out of the narrowly conventional Jewish pathway. That Ruth, her only daughter, should be the subject of vulgar bandying was more bitter than wormwood to her; but that her own niece could come with these wild conjectures incensed her beyond endurance.